


Smoke Break

by HowAboutThatSnapback



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Smoking, smoking is bad don't do it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 12:59:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7533673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowAboutThatSnapback/pseuds/HowAboutThatSnapback
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stan and Ford talk over a smoke break.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smoke Break

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Gravity Falls or it's characters, merely the plot.

For [@pinesinthewoods](https://tmblr.co/mjpr1E5-Ou9gDZO786vy4qw) as a late- er… I mean early birthday present for next year! *nervous laughter*

* * *

Stanley has never been one to burden others with his problems until he got caught in the act of hiding it. Decades of habit were hard to break. Even though his time on the streets were shorter than most of his life, those habits never truly left him.

Be strong. Never show weakness. Never let them know they get to you. Be ruthless. Never show mercy to someone who could be a threat. Keep your heart hard. Attachments can kill you. Never leave a trace. Always stay distant.

As strong as he makes himself out to be, this is nowhere near the case, but no one needs to know that.

Stanley stands on deck smoking to calm his nerves after a particularly terrible nightmare. He can’t remember anything about it, but he knows it’s enough to drive him out of the cabin and smoke a few cigarettes.

For the past three nights he’s been having nightmares and going on deck to smoke. He’s gone through two packs because of how stressed it’s made him, but he doesn’t bring it up to his brother at all- he refuses.

This night is no different when it comes to his stress levels being high- this is his fourth cigarette.

_Ahead of schedule… Gettin’ close to shore,_  Stanley thinks as he sees the twinkling of city light on the horizon.

He flicks the ash into the ashtray and then takes another inhale- he’s in no mood to sleep so he may as well make sure they dock before morning.

* * *

Stanford’s not one to complain about Stanley’s smoking habit- after all, he’s the real alcoholic of the two so he has no right to say anything about bad habits- however he’s noticed the smell of smoke is much stronger than usual on his skin and it’s a bit worrisome.

He remembers when their mother was stressed she’d smoke as much as a pack a day and he gets the feeling Stan’s taken after her. He notices the ash tray has been empty the past three days whereas he usually lets it build up until told to empty it.

_What could he be stressed about? He hasn’t been getting a lot of sleep_ , Stanford thinks while observing his brother haggling with a shopkeeper over supplies.

Stanford Pines hasn’t been the best of brothers in the past, but he’s determined to be the best brother he can for Stanley and that means helping him when something is is bothering him- whatever it may be.

The only problem is that while his brother is more like a Johnson (who were the normal level of stubborn as their mother would often say though she inherited her father’s temper), he’s still got the stubbornness of a Pines man. That means it will take a lot for his brother to admit anything.

Stanford watches Stanley smoke his second cigarette and taps the railing. It takes several minutes for him to smoke it and his fingers twitch to his pocket as if to go for a third.

With a quiet sigh, Stanford walks forward and leans against the railing with one thing in mind.

“Mind letting me have one?”

Stanley blinks in surprise- his brother was an alcoholic, not a smoker to his knowledge- but he hands over a cigarette and gives him the lighter.

Stanford takes a drag and breathes out- it doesn’t relax him like it does his brother and he doesn’t particularly enjoy it, but he’d doing it for the sake of spending some time with his brother. It’s obvious that this man has smoked plenty before otherwise he’d be coughing out a lung.

Stanley shrugs and then takes out another cigarette and places it between his lips in a way that it looks like it’ll drop out at any second. “Since when did you smoke?”

“College,” Stanford replies. “Used to be relaxing- especially when I was smoking- er-herm… ah, some extra stuff. I quit a while ago when I started drinking.”

Stanley chuckles. “Never figured you’d be one to get into that kinda stuff.”

Stanford gives him a wry smile. “There’s a lot I haven’t told you about that type of stuff. Got arrested for possession once or twice.”

Stanley laughs and punches his brother’s arm. “Well, I’ll be damned!”

The two laugh for a while before it goes quiet and all that can be heard is the quiet crinkle of fire burning tobacco and the exhales to blow smoke into the air.

It takes a long time before Stanford asks, “What’s wrong?”

Stanley stiffens and exhales to release a cloud of smoke. “What’re you talking about?”

“Something’s bothering you… you’ve been smoking more lately- like Ma did… please, tell me what’s the matter?”

For a moment it seems Stanley’s going to put out the cigarette and storm back into the cabin without a word, but that doesn’t happen.

Instead he sighs and looks down at the water. “I’ve been having nightmares… but I don’t remember them when I wake up… I think it has something to do with those ten years.”

Stanford taps the end of the cigarette against the rim of the ashtray. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah… but I’m not sure what it is… It was something bad, though… couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night,” Stanley says quietly.

That explains why he looks so tired.

“I know what you mean…”

“Do you think…. do you think I’ll ever remember why I have some habits?” Stanley asks with a quiet voice barely above a whisper.

“I… I can’t say for sure,” Stanford replies. “Maybe, maybe not. I can’t say for sure.”

Stanley lets out a quiet laugh, “I know… I know, I just…”

He grows quiet and rubs his eyes.

“You just…”

“I dunno, I just wanted confirmation. You know better than me how this thing works.”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Forgetting ten years of your life?… or is remembering you’re worried about?”

“Both? One one hand I know I went through a lot of shit and it’d be terrible to remember, but on the other what if there’s some things I’ve gotta remember to keep my family safe?”

“If it’s really important… I’m confident that you’ll remember it,” Stanford says firmly while looking Stanley in the eyes.

Stanley grins over at him and then puts out his cigarette butt right after Stanford who smoked two-thirds of his own. “Thanks, Ford. I really needed that.”

“Anytime… though next time could it be a drinking break?”

“No, drinking’s for your issues. Smoke breaks are for mine,” Stanley says and then punches his arm. “C’mon, let’s go take the dogs for a walk.”


End file.
